A gargantuan gold-painted statue of China’s founding father Mao Zedong has suddenly been demolished, apparently due to the lack of government approval.

The sculpture was located in a village in central China’s Henan province and faced the national and global spotlight after the news was reported widely. The 37-meter (121 feet) statue, which was funded by a group of entrepreneurs and local villagers and cost nearly 3 million yuan ($459,300) to build.

Photo: CFP

An official from the township government told a reporter from People’s Daily Online that the construction of the statue didn’t go through examination and approval procedures demanded by the government, although it was built on a barren land.

However relevant county government departments did not answer the reporter’s question on whether building a statue in a village needs government approval, as is required in cities.

Privacy Settings

This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.

NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.